The GeForce RTX 5090, which debuted with an official retail price of $2,000, has become impossible to find at a reasonable price. In the United States, prices are already nearing $5,000 at several retailers. The main reason behind the increase is growing demand from companies using these graphics cards for artificial intelligence.
A few years ago, we experienced the cryptocurrency mining craze, when mining farms emptied stocks of graphics cards before they could even reach store shelves. Today, the story is repeating itself almost exactly, but this time the cause is artificial intelligence.
AI Demand Turns the RTX 5090 Into a $5,000 Graphics Card
Recent photos and reports from manufacturers in Asia show a discouraging situation for PC gamers. Dozens of boxes of RTX 5090 graphics cards fresh from the factory are being stacked on full pallets inside facilities used to build AI servers. We are not talking about business accelerators such as the RTX PRO series or data center cards, but the same RTX 5090 designed and aimed at gamers.
Technology companies prefer to buy these graphics cards in large numbers and install them in systems with multiple GPUs to train models or process algorithms. This is easier and faster for them than competing for the supply of professional accelerators.
For now, there are no signs that Nvidia will take action, such as limiting AI performance through software or applying strict controls to the wholesale sales made by its distributors. With demand willing to pay almost any extra price without hesitation, the RTX 5090 has, in practice, stopped being a gaming graphics card and has become the new commercial engine for AI.
